Tejasvani Datta
Netflix’s ‘Messiah’ is that uniquely gripping thriller that no one really saw coming. It garnered a lot of attention because of its controversial premise, and not all of it was positive. Despite that, the series has been not only thought-provoking, but also refreshing because of the issues it picks up and the ways through which it explores them. Even though the Syrian crisis forms the background of the show, it is still perhaps one of the only mainstream series to explore it, along with U.S.’s involvement with Israel. It is equally refreshing to have such a diverse cast who give such strong performances.
‘Messiah’ also explores the connection between Christianity and Islam. Whether or not Al Massih is a savior, he is gradually uniting people irrespective of their religion. On the other hand, he also causes an uprising in Israel that people believe will lead to war. What makes watching ‘Messiah’ so fascinating is the way it works in contradictions and one can’t really take a stand on who they believe Al Massih is.
The third episode, titled, “The Finger of God”, further explores Al Massih’s supernatural connections as he inexplicably appears somewhere far away where help is needed. We also learn more about our characters as each one of them is shown struggling with their own personal battles, while some find new purposes. Also, as previously predicted, things are not looking too good for our boy Jibril. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Messiah Season 1 Episode 3 Recap:
The third episode of ‘Messiah’ begins with Rebecca packing her back and leaving in the middle of the night. Felix too is awake as he contemplates what to do. Ultimately, he heads out to burn down his church out of desperation due to his financial situation. Anna is woken up suddenly at night because of Felix’s phone buzzing consistently. She then realizes there is a tornado alert, and sets out to find Felix and Rebecca. She finds Felix at the church before he burns it down and together they try to find Rebecca but fail.
Rebecca is shown walking down the road and leaving Dilley until she realizes there is a major tornado approaching and decides to hide. Felix and Anna help their neighbours to a shelter underground. Felix then sees Rebecca facing the Tornado and calls out to her. But we later learn that the person facing the tornado is in fact, Al Massih.
It is then revealed that Al Massih saved Rebecca from the tornado and got her home. The tornado turns out to be disastrous and destroys every building in Dilley. The only building that survives is Felix’s church. This makes him believe that he has a purpose and that God did not want him to give up on his church. He interacts with the man and it is apparent that he thinks that the man is the second coming of Christ. The interaction doesn’t last long as an FBI officer arrests Al Massih. But Felix makes a few calls and gets him an ACLU lawyer. It is evident that Rebecca too has become a believer, but Anna remains hesitant.
Back in Israel, Aviram interrogates Jibril and questions him about the man, promising Jibril some water in return of his answers. Jibril answers truthfully, and tells him he is “Al Massih” sent from God. This does not please Aviram who throws the water away and tells him that there is no God. Though its not shown explicitly, it becomes apparent that Aviram beats up Jibril and drops off his unconscious body. As shown in all three episodes, Aviram is fighting his own demons, as struggles to be a good father to his daughter despite the circumstances.
Eva Geller learns about Al Massih’s whereabouts from a video taken at the tornado and leaves for America. Despite the attempts to shut down the video, it gets viral. People slowly begin to learn about the sighting of the “Miracle man” in Texas. Geller learns from Qamar that a private jet from Jordan was forced to land in Mexico due to the bad weather. Since its only five miles from the U.S. border they believe that Al Massih got to America through that plane. Geller heads to the FBI office to finally speak to Al Massih but she is stopped by officer. She is informed that Al Massih has a lawyer and there will be a trial held for him.
Geller is also shown to be getting sick in the episode, as she gets out of the car and pukes. It only towards the end of the episode, after having a conversation with her father, she realises she just had a miscarriage because of the blood on the sheets. The episodes ends with Geller at the laundromat washing the bloodied sheets. She sees a bird struggling to get out of the building and states, “You’re not where you’re meant to be”.
Messiah Season 1 Episode 3 Review:
The third episode of ‘Messiah’ was much more emotionally charged than the past two episodes. This is probably because we have already been introduced to most of main characters, all of whom are fighting their own battles. Avaram and Geller become the most intriguing from the lot because of their dedication to their work and their scepticism to believe in Al Massih, as the two deal with major emotional turmoils on their own. While others turn to the man who they think is the second coming of Jesus.
The episode also left me breathless from time to time, especially in the beginning because of how well-made and unnerving the tornado scene was. This is what makes the series so interesting, as it continues to be a thriller, and keeps us at the edge of our seats without having a solid villain, which is a rare feat for the genre. Of course we do have Al Massih, who could potentially be upto no good at all.
But we don’t know that yet, and with each episode, we increasingly believe that the man certainly has some supernatural connection. I mean, what’s with all those disastrous weather situations? First in Syria and now in Dilley, Texas. Secondly, the man is fearless or at least he appears to be. He protested for 30 days in the sandstorm in Syria and now he looks at the Tornado in the eye (pun intended). He also somehow magically shows up right where the tornado was despite last being spotted in Jordan. We do have the theory that he took a flight to Mexico but there is no proof of that. Yet.
Also, what I look forward to the most in the coming episodes is the much-awaited encounter between Al Massih and Geller which I believe will happen very soon. The one thing I really appreciate about ‘Messiah’ so far is that it keeps us engaged every episode as it offers something new and unexpected. But it also keeps us anticipating and waiting, striking an ideal balance. Can’t wait to see what it hits us with next.
Read More: Where Was Messiah Filmed?
